“You know how difficult and alarming the situation in Afghanistan currently is. We are keeping a close eye on this situation, actively cooperating with our allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO),” Putin said at a congress of the ruling United Russia party on Tuesday. “Naturally, we will not interfere in Afghanistan’s domestic affairs, neither will our armed forces be drawn into this all-against-all conflict.”
He recalled that the conflict in Afghanistan has been continuing for decades. “The former Soviet Union has its own experience in that country. We have learned the lesson,” Putin said.
Taliban remains outlawed in Russia and Moscow has not shown any rush to recognise the Taliban government in making despite engaging with the group ahead of the fall of Ghani government.
Russian official media TASS has described as the northern province of Panjshir is the pocket of resistance to the Taliban. It is led by Ahmad Massoud, a son of Ahmad Shah Massoud (1953-2001), a once influential leader of Afghanistan’s Tajik community who fought against the Taliban back in the 1990s. A source in Panjshir told TASS on Saturday that Massoud had embarked on talks with the Taliban on the establishment of an inclusive government and on settling political contradictions.
Meanwhile Russia’s Ministry of Defense has stated that it is evacuating more than 500 people from Afghanistan as directed by Putin.
The four military transport aircraft will airlift over 500 Russian citizens as well as citizens of Collective Security Treaty Organization (Belarus Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan) and Ukraine.
Each aircraft is equipped with medical personnel and supplies to provide the necessary medical assistance in flight, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.
Meanwhile Tajikistan had strongly condemned all forms of lawlessness, murder, looting, and persecution of the Afghan people, especially Tajiks, Uzbeks, and other national minorities. This was conveyed in no uncertain terms by Tajikistan President to Pakistan FM Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Dushanbe. Central Asian states bordering Afghanistan remain wary of spillover of radical Islam into their territories and with Russian support has launched military drills along the border.
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